


Take Me to Church

by seliph



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 05:45:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10984593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seliph/pseuds/seliph
Summary: Gaius has always had nightmares about his past, but he's never had the worst and most vivid of them while in bed with Libra. He fears his new relationship with the monk will be ruined by the ugly physical proof of all the horrible things he's done.





	Take Me to Church

Gaius had the same nightmare every so often, dreamt of the red hot brand scorching the skin of his forearm. It felt just as real every time, like his arms were once again strapped to the wooden chair, like the cloth gag was still tight in his mouth, barely muffling his agonized screams as searing metal made contact with flesh.

Most nights he would shoot upright, gasping for air and in a profuse sweat, alone, not disturbing anyone else. Tonight, however, he’d fallen asleep all but wrapped around the monk in his bed, and his sudden movement startled Libra out of his own slumber. Gaius hunched over as he tried to catch his breath, avoiding touching his arm even though it was a source of comfort after such nightmares. _It’s over, that pain isn’t happening, it’s not real_. Though the scar remained, telling himself that the physical pain was over was at least some relief. But he couldn’t.

Even during their most intimate— _vulnerable_ —moments, Gaius still kept the mark covered, and Libra never pressed about it. Libra knew of his criminal past, of course, and probably knew why Gaius never exposed his arm, but he never saw the permanent, obvious reminder of it all, never saw anything to sneer at in disgust and make him want to leave. 

Libra was up with Gaius as soon as he realized what was happening, resting a hand on his back, stroking up and down. He didn’t ask questions. Gaius didn’t deserve him. Really, what was a man of the cloth doing with a branded criminal like him, anyway?

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake ya,” Gaius offered, not sure what else to say. This was all still so new to him. Libra, too, but Libra’s damaged heart was through no doing of his. And Libra was trying to change for the better. He was always so kind, so generous, so patient with Gaius even when he returned to camp with suspiciously obtained items. 

“Do you wish to talk about it?” was all Libra asked, in that calming, loving tone that almost made Gaius want to spill everything. 

_Almost_.

“Just a bad nightmare,” Gaius said. It wasn’t the first he’s had with Libra there, but he’d never woken up in such a panic. It had always been a slight jump, Libra half waking up to pull Gaius closer to him and soothe him back to sleep, telling him that it was all in the past. 

Gaius didn’t realize that, to his horror, his hand had betrayed him and was resting over the cloth around his left arm, until Libra gently took his hand away and held his arm. Gaius flinched, waiting for Libra to peel the fabric away and see the ugly brand that’s haunted him for years, but Libra only trailed long, delicate fingers across it, the featherlight touch leaving goosebumps in its wake, before leaning down to place a soft kiss on the fabric. Gaius shuddered at how close his lips were to the scar. 

When Libra straightened his back, Gaius expected to hear how Naga would forgive him, how Libra would help him cleanse himself of his past sins and redeem himself, but perhaps Libra could sense how raw everything was. He just wrapped his arms around Gaius and pulled him against his chest, kissing his temple and stroking the back of his head. “I care very deeply for you, Gaius,” Libra murmured, and Gaius let himself melt into his embrace. “I will always be with you.” His angelic voice alone brought Gaius back to reality. Libra was just, a _saint_. He knew of Gaius’s past and still held him close every night, still saw the good in him and helped him reform the bad. How stupid he felt thinking one more thing from his past would ruin all of that. 

Gaius would show him the scar eventually. But tonight, he just let Libra guide him into laying down again, whispering a quiet _Thanks, Padre_ as careful fingers moved in soothing motions and lulled him back to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> i feel like if this pairing was more popular there would be a thousand fics with this title. anyway hello my name is angela and i latch on to ships that exactly 3 other people like.


End file.
